Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adolescent Depression

TITLE
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adolescent Depression

AUTHORS
Croarkin PE; MacMaster FP.

SOURCE
Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 28(1):33-43, 2019 01.

ABSTRACT
Adolescent depression is a substantial global public health problem that contributes to academic failure, occupational impairment, deficits in social functioning, substance use disorders, teen pregnancy, and completed suicide. Existing treatment options often have suboptimal results and uncertain safety profiles. Transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a promising, brain-based intervention for adolescents with depression. Existing work has methodological weaknesses, and larger, neurodevelopmentally informed studies are urgently needed. Treatment with transcranial magnetic stimulation may modulate cortical GABAergic and glutamatergic imbalances. Future study will inform dosing approaches for TMS based on GABAergic and glutamatergic biomarkers.